Going to town.

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I grew up in town.  Not a big town.  Not a small town.  A good medium-sized town.  I was a town kid.
And all my life, I wanted to say this.  “Family, I’m going to town.”  You know, like I lived out in the boonies frolicking around the farm with a happy cow or something.  That may seem a strange wish, but there was something pleasant, simple, and down-homey about it. 
Then, I moved to the city.  And then a bigger city.  And I loved it. 
I grew up in Iowa.  And I returned to Iowa, yet country life remains something of a mystery to me.  There are days where I think I would love to take my sweet little family out into the middle of nowhere and just… be.  Away from the noise.  Away from the sights.  Just away.
But then I think about the smells.  And oh, the aroma of the country.  Then I remember that maybe I am not quite ready for that.  And now I live in a small Iowa town… again.  A smaller town than before, but town it is!
And I hang in the balance… a city girl in a small town, longing for country quiet.
But now when I do drive into the city, I wrangle up my herd of kidlets and say, “Family, we’re going to town!”  Nevermind, we are only going for a dentist appointment… it’s going to be a big-city adventure.
Ah, the city.  Where everything is so exciting… and expensive.  But I have my ways.
My 3 essential freebie stops whenever we go to “town”:
1.  The mall.  Free play for my girls in the play place and in the Barnes & Noble kids’ area before the hour-long drive home.
2.  Starbucks.  I am fortunate that my favorite coffee joint is in my favorite mall.  Bring in an empty Starbucks Coffee bag and get a free Tall Brewed Coffee (12 oz.)  (I seem to have a steady supply of empty Starbucks bags…)
3.  Godiva.  I am even more fortunate that my favorite chocolate store is next door to my favorite coffee joint in my favorite mall.  I and my three little princesses stop here next to get our free chocolate sample.   Sign up for the free membership club and then additionally receive one free truffle a month! 
Coffee, chocolate, and happy, tired kids that will sleep all the way home… and it’s back to the “homestead” for us. 
Oh, who am I kidding?  Townie forever.  
This post is a part of the Frugal Tuesday Tip.

10 thoughts on “Going to town.”

  3. We live in “town” and very frequently escape “out of town” and just drive. Looking for deer, turkeys, turtles, hawks, corn, beans, and anything out of the ordinary. We love the quiet of the countryside and the small towns. We love the county seats with their not-so-bustling business districts (a Co-op and a Casey's, anyone?). We love the adventure out just like you love it coming in. Cheers from Heather in Des Moines

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  7. Our family just moved from Iowa! We are in Texas {our true home}. We lived in Iowa City for over 6 years. I have to say, I am a city girl who had to wrangle up every fiber in my being to be okay with living in a small-to-me town. And it cracked me up with people I met said Iowa City was so big. 🙂 Now that we've been back in Texas for almost a year, I find that there are certain things I really miss about smaller cities compared to big cities. Like walking to the library from my house {oh, yeah, that is a huge “I miss!”}.

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  10. Cute story. I am a city girl and probably will always be a city girl (San Francisco, CA) but there are times when I ask my hubby “wouldn't be fun to check out a small town?” He says no because he grew up in one and he has said he will never go back. New follower from the hop hope you can come by and say hello.

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